


The Kobayashi Maru Maneuver

by lunarknightz



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-05
Updated: 2013-03-05
Packaged: 2017-12-04 08:52:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/708883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarknightz/pseuds/lunarknightz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a great break in for her career, but the situation may prove to be unwinnable for Penny, when it comes to her friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Kobayashi Maru Maneuver

****  
The Kobayashi Maru Maneuver  


Ask not, Penny thought, who Sheldon knocks for, he knocks for you.

She knew that she couldn’t keep this a secret for forever.

The offer was too great to turn down- a national commercial television campaign for a major company that would start airing during the Super Bowl- with a deal for multiple commercials if the first one took off like the producers expected. It could take her career to a whole other level. So even though Penny knew that the job could land her in heaps of trouble (with her friends or because of them- _especially Sheldon, Lord knows, especially Sheldon_ , she took the job). 

And then simply didn’t tell them about it. It wasn’t like they’d watch the Super Bowl, anyway. That bought her a day. Because all of her friends did have Google Alerts set up, damn it. 

The world had really been a much simpler place without You Tube.

The quick succession of Sheldon’s patterned knock on the door with a loud “Penny, Penny, Penny” let her know she’d been found out.

“I’m not here, Sheldon.” She called out in a sing song tone, trying to buy herself a few moments.

“Then why are you talking to us?” Howard replied in the same tone. 

“Seriously, Penny.” Leonard whined. “Open the door. It’s time to fess up.”

Penny sighed, and opened the door a crack, leaving the safety barrier on. “I plead the fifth. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to work.”

“Today is your day off.” Leonard sighed; and Penny remembered that she’d had him sync her Google calendar on her phone. “Can you please explain to us why you’d want to keep this a secret from us?”

“If I open the door, do you swear on the Prime Directive that you won’t cause me any harm?”

Leonard looked back at the pouting Sheldon, Howard, and Raj. They all nodded. “That doesn’t even make any sense, but yeah, okay.”

“So.” Penny said, welcoming them into her apartment. “I take it that you saw my new commercial. Pretty cool, huh?”

“It was _astounding_.” Sheldon gushed. “A true cinematic masterpiece!”

“You really liked my work?”

Sheldon glared at her. “You were adequate, Penny. I was talking about the artistic masterpiece that was the performance of one of the greatest actors to ever grace the small screen, Mr. William Shatner.”

“Seriously? Have you heard the man sing _“Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds_?” Penny sighed. “It’s a commercial for a service that gets you cheap hotel rooms. Though he was bragging about being asked to do something at the Oscars this year. The man never shuts up.”

“I’ll have you know that William Shatner is one of my personal heroes.” Sheldon exclaimed. “He’s the original Captain Kirk! His presence will never be equaled, his portrayal is the stuff of legends.”

“Really? I kind of liked Chris Pine in the movies. I mean have you seen his eyes? Or his butt? Total dreamboat.”

“Can we not talk about Captain Kirk’s eyes? And especially not his butt!” Leonard exclaimed. “The point is, Penny, you worked with a man, who is for reasons you may not understand, a personal hero of all of ours. You met the man. And you could have hooked us up and introduced us, but you didn’t. And I think that I speak for all of us when I say “WHY?!”

Penny paused for a second to think. “I was really nervous when they offered me the job. I’ve had a hard time getting a break and it finally seemed like things were starting to go my way. This isn’t just a single commercial for hemorrhoid cream- this is a national commercial that if they like me, they can ask me back for several more- and print ads aren’t out of the question! This could be my big break. I wanted to be super professional, so I didn’t want to pull any strings or make anyone angry…and it just seemed like things would be easier, if I didn’t tell you.”

“You didn’t trust us?” Leonard sighed. “Not even me?”

“Have you seen the way you guys act around celebrities?”

“So the encounter with Summer Glau wasn’t our finest.” Howard nodded. “Everybody has a bad day.”

“Sheldon just about had a coronary when I gave him a napkin with Leonard Nimoy’s autograph. And the only time that you or Raj ever likes anything that I post on Facebook is when it’s first posted by George Takei!”

“So in addition to being an acting legend, the man has excellent taste on posting on Facebook!” Howard exclaimed. “The issue is that you totally left us out of something very cool, just for your own benefit. You were selfish, Penny. And you haven’t even said you were sorry.”

“The role of the Priceline Negotiator’s daughter is the biggest break I ever got. I’m sorry I hid it from you, but it really hurts that instead of hearing “Great Job, Penny or Way to Go Penny!, I’m getting a long diatribe from all of you on how _I_ let you down. Maybe I wasn’t the best friend, but neither are you. A friend would be happy for their friend, not just petty or jealous. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other things to do with my day off. Please leave.”

Sheldon, Howard, and Raj left immediately.

Leonard tried to make amends. “Penny…I…”

“Just leave, Leonard.” She sighed. “Just leave.”

 

****

Their apology wasn’t much in the large scheme of things, but to Penny, it was perfect.

A Facebook Fan Page for the Priceline Negotiator’s Daughter. Run by Leonard and Howard. Liked by Leonard, Howard, Raj, Amy, Bernadette, Stewart, Sheldon’s Mom, and Wil Wheaton.

It was a start.

Penny’s apology came the day after- a personalized autograph for each of her friends from William Shatner.


End file.
